Successful LYD Projects:

RYAN WICHELNS received a 2015 Live Your Dream grant to travel to Denali National Park in Alaska to climb the desolate, airy traverse from Mt. Silverthrone (13,220'), through the Tripyramid Peaks, to Mt. Brooks (11,940'). Having worked hard to build his skills on both rock and ice in the Northeastern ranges of the Adirondacks and Whites, and with a guided ascent of Mt. Rainier polishing out his skill set, Ryan was ready to put it all to the test and "go somewhere." Ryan's dream project was the culmination and application of skills such has expedition planning, long-term backcountry travel and camping, technical mountaineering, and route finding on a project that was bigger and badder than anything he had previously experienced. See Ryan's on-line trip report.

PAUL KOUBEK is a Yosemite climber. His climbing career has progressed from big wall novice to Valley veteran with long term goals of climbing big peaks in the greater ranges--specifically, peaks in the Ruth Gorge of Alaska. However, Paul has little ice climbing experience and has never been tested on vertical ice. To reach his ultimate goal of climbing Alaska classics "Ham and Eggs" and "Shaken Not Stirred," Paul was awarded a Live Your Dream grant to develop his skills in Ouray during a two-week ice climbing trip, specifically aiming to send "Gold Rush" (WI4) and "Stairway to Heaven" (WI4).

MILES MOSER was an extremely experienced climber, but was looking to push his skills to the ultimate level by attempting to establish a second free route up the East Face of the Central Tower of Torres del Paine, Chile. Of the nine routes currently up the Tower, only one has been freed previously. Myles and his team planned a ground up, capsule style alpine approach. This dream, funded by a Live Your Dream grant, consisted of the hardest route in the toughest environment the team had ever endured.

KEVIN ZIECHMANN received a Live Your Dream grant in to travel from his home in the Southeast to Smith Rock, Oregon. It was his first time climbing outside of his back yard, and he was hungry to test his sport climbing skills in a new and unknown theatre. He had been training with the specific goal of sending the local classic, Spank the Monkey (5.12d), which at the time was above his ability level. Through vision and dedication, Kevin worked to make his climbing dream a reality. Kevin made a video trip report of his project.

MICHELLE KINNY was a gym climber looking to advance her skills and transition beyond her indoor experience and become a competent, outdoor lead climber. She dreamt of embarking on a journey that would combine climbing skill development, exposure to new cultures, and community service. Michelle was awarded a Live Your Dream grant to travel to South America to build her outdoor lead climbing skills in Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru. Along the way, she planned to volunteer in Santa Marta, Columbia with Fundacion Mariposas Amarillas; in Cumbaya, Ecuador through FEVI Ecuador; and in Huaraz, Peru with Seeds of Hope.

CHRISTOPHER MARSHALL was awarded a Live Your Dream grant to embark upon a ski-mountaineering expedition to the Neacola Mountains, a sub-range of the Aleutian Mountains in Alaska. His dream was to establish first ascents and descents of unclimbed peaks surrounding the “Slingshot Glacier" with objectives that include both technical alpine routes and ski descents. With the ultimate goal of taking his climbing and skiing into the greater ranges, this trip was designed as first step in experiencing the challenges of big mountain expeditions. Based on his research, this area has seen little or no previous climbing or skiing traffic.

PAST RECIPIENTS:

  • 2016 LYD Grant Recipients